Burunche’s Blog

Haman’s Plot against the Jews

“After these events, King Xerxes honored Haman son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, elevating him to a position above all the princes who were with him. All the royal servants at the King’s Gate bowed down and paid homage to Haman, because the king had commanded this for him. But Mordecai would not bow down or pay homage.

Then the royal servants at the King’s Gate asked Mordecai, “Why do you disobey the command of the king?” Day after day they warned him, but he would not comply. So they reported it to Haman to see whether Mordecai’s behavior would be tolerated, since he had told them he was a Jew.

When Haman saw that Mordecai would not bow down or pay him homage, he was filled with rage. And when he learned the identity of Mordecai’s people, he scorned the notion of laying hands on Mordecai alone. Instead, he sought to destroy all of Mordecai’s people, the Jews, throughout the kingdom of Xerxes.

In the twelfth year of King Xerxes, in the first month, the month of Nisan, the Pur (that is, the lot) was cast before Haman to determine a day and month. And the lot fell on the twelfth month, the month of Adar.

Then Haman informed King Xerxes, “There is a certain people scattered and dispersed among the peoples of every province of your kingdom. Their laws are different from everyone else’s, and they do not obey the king’s laws. So it is not in the king’s best interest to tolerate them. If it pleases the king, let a decree be issued to destroy them, and I will deposit ten thousand talents of silver into the royal treasury to pay those who carry it out.” (10,000 talents is approximately 377 tons or 342 metric tons of silver.) So the king removed the signet ring from his finger and gave it to Haman son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, the enemy of the Jews. “Keep your money,” said the king to Haman. “These people are given to you to do with them as you please.”

On the thirteenth day of the first month, the royal scribes were summoned and the order was written exactly as Haman commanded the royal satraps, the governors of each province, and the officials of each people, in the script of each province and the language of every people. It was written in the name of King Xerxes and sealed with the royal signet ring.

And the letters were sent by couriers to each of the royal provinces with the order to destroy, kill, and annihilate all the Jews—young and old, women and children—and to plunder their possessions on a single day, the thirteenth day of Adar, the twelfth month.

A copy of the text of the edict was to be issued in every province and published to all the people, so that they would be ready for that day. The couriers left, spurred on by the king’s command, and the law was issued in the citadel of Susa. Then the king and Haman sat down to drink, but the city of Susa was in confusion.”

Consider Haman, son of Hammedatha, the Agagite. For some reason, King Xerxes chose to honor Haman above all the other princes, commanding that everyone, including the other princes, should bow whenever they saw Haman. It’s likely that Haman had made a timely donation to the royal coffers or had done some other personal favor for the king. Perhaps Haman had learned something about the king that he could use as blackmail. Evidently, Haman was also one of the king’s drinking buddies. At any rate, Haman’s ego was “in a gaseous state and ever expanding,” as writers in an earlier age might have said.

As an observant Jew, Mordecai could only bow before God but not before Haman, despite repeated warnings from the royal servants at the King’s Gate. Remember that Mordecai frequented the King’s Gate so that he could get news of Esther, his beloved niece, and he might have made friends with many of the guards. In addition, the guards probably realized that Mordecai was the one who had tipped off the two guards who had conspired against the king.  On the other hand, some of the guards might have been friends to the two who had been arrested and executed. The politics of the royal court at Susa were as slippery as anything ever conceived anywhere or at any time. It might have been a guard who was a friend to those who had been executed who slipped the word to Haman about Mordecai.

Drunk with power as well as with the king’s wine, Haman decided to carry out genocide against all the Jews in the empire. When Haman mentioned the matter to the king, the king was intoxicated and easily persuaded; after all, there were so many different races and peoples in the Persian Empire. Why not gratify Haman’s wishes to demonstrate royal munificence? Meanwhile, the city of Susa was in confusion because each ethnic group rightly feared that they might be the next one targeted for annihilation. One can only speculate as to how many other capricious decisions King Xerxes may have made while drunk.

APPLICATION: Consulting Wikipedia, it appears that Haman’s threats were the first organized attempts at genocide for the Jews. While earlier invaders had destroyed the temple in Jerusalem and had killed or carried off much of the population of Judah and Israel, these actions were those of “normal” invasion and not specifically antisemitic. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeline_of_antisemitism) Unfortunately, as this excellent article points out, throughout the centuries there have been repeated attempts of various kinds to wipe out God’s chosen people-massacres, seizure of property, expulsion from various countries, isolation in ghettoes, etc. Many of the other races that were included in the ancient Persian Empire have since vanished; however, despite all this persecution, the Jews remain and the State of Israel continues to flourish.

What has made the difference for the Jews? God cut covenant with Abraham as described in Genesis 15. God made many promises to David regarding his descendants. Despite all the failings of the Israelites, God continued to promise a magnificent future. God is a covenant-keeping God. Even when humans fail, God remains faithful to His promises.    

Why didn’t Mordecai simply bow before Haman? King Xerxes had issued a royal command; why wouldn’t Mordecai honor that command? After all, everybody else in the kingdom was doing so.  Would Mordecai bow before Xerxes if he met Xerxes? Or did Mordecai refuse to bow to Haman because he knew Haman’s character so well? Mordecai worshiped the One True Living God; was it God who told Mordecai not to bow, thus provoking Haman’s wrath? Perhaps God had singled out Haman for destruction and Mordecai was to be the instrument of that destruction.

Although we might never face the threats of extinction of our entire nationality as did Mordecai, we might find ourselves facing similar difficult situations. What do you do if you are working for a corrupt boss and he/she makes totally unreasonable demands on your resources? If your boss is involved in shady dealings and you are asked to testify against him/her,  will you do so, knowing that it might cost you your job? One of our friends was sacked on totally fabricated grounds, forcing him and his family to suffer. To this day, he can only speculate that the individual responsible thought our friend had seen something wrong that person had done and was likely to testify against that person. (Our friend has no idea what he was supposed to have seen.)

There are many lessons to learn from this short book of Esther, but one of them is this: We must honor God above everyone else and trust that God will also help us. If we must suffer, let us suffer for righteousness’ sake.

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, help us to seek Your Will for our lives at all times and then to do Your Will, even when that course of action seems to lead to disaster. Help us to remember that we are not merely working for earthly rewards, but for heavenly ones. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

Mordecai Uncovers a Conspiracy

“When the virgins were assembled a second time, Mordecai was sitting at the king’s gate. But Esther had kept secret her family background and nationality just as Mordecai had told her to do, for she continued to follow Mordecai’s instructions as she had done when he was bringing her up.

During the time Mordecai was sitting at the king’s gate, Bigthana and Teresh, two of the king’s officers who guarded the doorway, became angry and conspired to assassinate King Xerxes. But Mordecai found out about the plot and told Queen Esther, who in turn reported it to the king, giving credit to Mordecai. And when the report was investigated and found to be true, the two officials were impaled on poles. All this was recorded in the book of the annals in the presence of the king.”

“Who’s that old guy sitting there by the gate?” Bigthana asked Teresh as the two gate guards stood at the entry way to the court of King Xerxes in Susa. “Oh, that’s that wretched Jew Mordecai; he’s harmless. Mordecai walks by here every day and sometimes he sits in the gate with the other old men. He probably can’t even see or hear very well. Don’t worry about him; he’s no threat to us. But when do you think we can get rid of King Xerxes?” The position of gate guard was a very important one; only strong warriors who were trustworthy were selected for this work.

We don’t know why these two guards began scheming to assassinate King Xerxes; however, ignoring Mordecai proved to be a fatal mistake. Mordecai was neither blind nor deaf and he evidently enjoyed a good reputation in the city of Susa. When Mordecai got wind of the assassination plot, he told Esther and Esther informed King Xerxes. Xerxes immediately investigated and summarily dealt with the two conspirators, putting them to death in a grisly fashion to discourage future threats. And some scribe sitting in a Persian office dutifully recorded Mordecai’s name and his acts for the records. Remember that scribe, because his records will prove to be vitally important.

Meanwhile, back in the palace, Esther was maintaining a low profile as far as her nationality was concerned. Xerxes didn’t care; he was enticed by Esther’s beauty and her lovely personality. The Persian Empire included thousands of different nationalities, so Esther’s origins were of little interest to the king.  Somehow, Mordecai and Esther were continuing to communicate, perhaps through Hegai, the head of the royal harem.

APPLICATION: Mordecai was an exile, “a stranger in a strange land.” Although Mordecai could have remained bitter about being carried off from his home country, he maintained a positive attitude. Why? The answers lie in a letter God had the prophet Jeremiah write to those in exile as recorded in Jeremiah 29:1-7.

“This is the text of the letter that the prophet Jeremiah sent from Jerusalem to the surviving elders among the exiles and to the priests, the prophets and all the other people Nebuchadnezzar had carried into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon. (This was after King Jehoiachin and the queen mother, the court officials and the leaders of Judah and Jerusalem, the skilled workers and the artisans had gone into exile from Jerusalem.) He entrusted the letter to Elasah son of Shaphan and to Gemariah son of Hilkiah, whom Zedekiah king of Judah sent to King Nebuchadnezzar in Babylon. It said:

This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says to all those I carried into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon: “Build houses and settle down; plant gardens and eat what they produce. Marry and have sons and daughters; find wives for your sons and give your daughters in marriage, so that they too may have sons and daughters. Increase in number there; do not decrease. Also, seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the Lord for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper.” 

Given the fact that Mordecai was an observant Jew, he would certainly have known about Jeremiah’s message and would have respected it. It’s quite likely that as Mordecai was walking around Susa, he was praying for the city and especially for Esther and King Xerxes. Once Esther became queen, Mordecai needed to pray for Xerxes to have a long healthy reign. Were Xerxes to die, Esther might find herself relegated to the harem for the remainder of her life. For all of these reasons, Mordecai needed to report any threats to the king as quickly as possible.

APPLICATION: No matter where we live, we are all subject to governments which are fallible. Political parties rise and fall, economies can collapse, and nothing is certain. God’s advice through Jeremiah is as important for us today as it was to the Jews in the Persian Empire.

1. Continue to pray for the government of the country in which you live.
2. Pray for righteous leadership and pray for protection for the righteous.
3. Seek the peace and prosperity of the country in which you live.
4. Pray for your fellow citizens to know God.
5. Remember that no matter how evil a ruler might be, God still loved that man or woman so much that He sent His Son Jesus Christ to die for their sins. There is nobody so evil that he or she is beyond the reach of God.

PRAYER:  Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Help us to pray for our towns and villages and for our countries. Help us to view all of our fellow citizens as people for whom Jesus died. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

“Before a young woman’s turn came to go in to King Xerxes, she had to complete twelve months of beauty treatments prescribed for the women, six months with oil of myrrh and six with perfumes and cosmetics. And this is how she would go to the king: Anything she wanted was given her to take with her from the harem to the king’s palace. In the evening she would go there and in the morning return to another part of the harem to the care of Shaashgaz, the king’s eunuch who was in charge of the concubines. She would not return to the king unless he was pleased with her and summoned her by name.

When the turn came for Esther (the young woman Mordecai had adopted, the daughter of his uncle Abihail) to go to the king, she asked for nothing other than what Hegai, the king’s eunuch who was in charge of the harem, suggested. And Esther won the favor of everyone who saw her. She was taken to King Xerxes in the royal residence in the tenth month, the month of Tebeth, in the seventh year of his reign.

Now the king was attracted to Esther more than to any of the other women, and she won his favor and approval more than any of the other virgins. So he set a royal crown on her head and made her queen instead of Vashti. And the king gave a great banquet, Esther’s banquet, for all his nobles and officials. He proclaimed a holiday throughout the provinces and distributed gifts with royal liberality.”

Twelve months! Twelve anxious months passed while Esther underwent the finest beauty treatments. Daily, Esther watched young women leave the harem to visit the king for one night, and daily she learned that yet another young woman had been sent to stay in the section of the harem reserved for the concubines. Daily, Mordecai continued casually walking past the courtyard of the harem in hopes of getting some word about Esther. The strain for both Mordecai and Esther must have been unthinkable. Daily, the two of them prayed for each other, begging God to bless and keep them and to one day unite them.

Esther watched as other young women carried all kinds of things with them from the harem to impress the king – jewelry, seductive clothing, special perfumes, musical instruments, and anything else the lady thought might make her stand out. Finally, Hegei informed Esther that it would be her turn tomorrow. “What should I take with me?” Esther asked Hegei. Hegei advised Esther, “Don’t worry about playing instruments or dancing, or making a big show. The king is really looking for someone loving, kind and virtuous, someone who will care about him and who can be counted on to be discrete. Your character, your grace, and your virtue shine from you, and those are the best things you can carry with you. For the rest of it, allow me to suggest the garments you should wear, for the king is searching for a queen, not for a prostitute. Rest assured, you have endeared yourself to all of us, and you will also endear yourself to the king.”

Esther listened and followed Hegei’s advice. Wearing a simple but striking gown, Esther came to the king without any gimmicks or strategies. Before entering the king’s presence, Esther prayed, “Lord God of Israel, help me!” And God did. Xerxes was enchanted by this lovely young woman who was well – spoken, kind, modest, and intelligent. The longer Xerxes spent in Esther’s presence, the more appealing he found her. “Finally,” thought Xerxes, “I have found my true queen!” Xerxes was so thrilled that he immediately crowned Esther and held a royal banquet in her honor. To celebrate the new queen, Xerxes distributed lavish gifts throughout all the provinces, celebrating Esther in a magnificent way.

APPLICATION: Esther won the heart of the most powerful king in her world, not through stratagems or tricks but by the obvious goodness of her heart and her character. Sadly, these days many young women are failing to follow her example.

In 1 Timothy 2:9 Paul advises Timothy to caution the women who are believers to “adorn themselves in modest apparel with propriety and moderation, not with braided hair or gold or pearls or costly clothing.” Evidently, there were controversies about dress 2000 years ago just as there are today. And some of the ladies of the early church had evidently adopted the “if you’ve got it, flaunt it!” philosophy. But showing off one’s wealth or one’s physical assets scarcely promotes worship. Recently, one famous Gospel musician here in Ghana stated that he would no longer sing special numbers during church offerings because some of the ladies of the church were dressing in such a provocative fashion that it distracted him from worshiping the Lord. Years ago, we lived in mid-town Memphis in a tough area where prostitutes were flagging down cars less than a block from our house. These days, some of the dresses young women are wearing to church remind us a great deal of the outfits worn by those prostitutes.

Does this mean that we are horrible old fuddy-duddies who are opposed to young people dressing nicely? Far from it! But when young women appear in church with dresses so tight that they can scarcely breathe and with extremely short skirts and extremely low-cut tops, such dress does not glorify God, nor will it attract young men of good character. Young men will definitely look; however, the question remains that if the young woman is willing to dress like this before marriage, will she change or will she continue to dress like that after marriage? And if she dresses like that after marriage, why should she dress in such a fashion? Will she remain faithful? Such dress is more likely to attract rapists rather than husbands!

1 Corinthians 6:19-20 tells us, “Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body.” If we claim to follow God, we must reflect His character, His holiness, His righteousness, His goodness, His purity. Esther won a crown and ultimately saved her people from annihilation by her character. Who knows what we might accomplish?

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, please help us to please You in our mode of dress and not merely to dress to attract attention. Help us to remember that others are watching us and judging us on the basis of our behavior, just as all in that harem watched Esther for those twelve months. Let these scriptures speak to the hearts of all who read them! In the matchless Name of King Jesus. Amen.

 “Later when King Xerxes’ fury had subsided, he remembered Vashti and what she had done and what he had decreed about her. Then the king’s personal attendants proposed, “Let a search be made for beautiful young virgins for the king. Let the king appoint commissioners in every province of his realm to bring all these beautiful young women into the harem at the citadel of Susa. Let them be placed under the care of Hegai, the king’s eunuch, who is in charge of the women; and let beauty treatments be given to them. Then let the young woman who pleases the king be queen instead of Vashti.” This advice appealed to the king, and he followed it.

Now there was in the citadel of Susa a Jew of the tribe of Benjamin, named Mordecai son of Jair, the son of Shimei, the son of Kish, who had been carried into exile from Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, among those taken captive with Jehoiachin king of Judah. Mordecai had a cousin named Hadassah, whom he had brought up because she had neither father nor mother. This young woman, who was also known as Esther, had a lovely figure and was beautiful. Mordecai had taken her as his own daughter when her father and mother died.

When the king’s order and edict had been proclaimed, many young women were brought to the citadel of Susa and put under the care of Hegai. Esther also was taken to the king’s palace and entrusted to Hegai, who had charge of the harem. She pleased him and won his favor. Immediately he provided her with her beauty treatments and special food. He assigned to her seven female attendants selected from the king’s palace and moved her and her attendants into the best place in the harem.

Esther had not revealed her nationality and family background, because Mordecai had forbidden her to do so. Every day he walked back and forth near the courtyard of the harem to find out how Esther was and what was happening to her.”

Putting it bluntly, King Xerxes sobers up and suddenly realizes that he has banished Queen Vashti in a drunken rage. As a monarch with absolute power, Xerxes can’t apologize; nevertheless, he really needs a queen gorgeous enough and charming enough to match the splendor of his kingdom. Vashti is breath-takingly beautiful, but she is now out of Xerxes’ reach. What to do? Wiping their brows in relief that the king is now thinking logically, the advisors suggest that commissioners be appointed in every province and that a contest for “Persia’s Most Beautiful” be conducted. These commissioners will seek out the most beautiful young virgins and send them to the palace harem in the capital of Susa. The young lovelies will receive the finest beauty treatments and will be brought to Xerxes one by one. The lady who pleases Xerxes will become the new queen.

Living in Susa is a Jew from the tribe of Benjamin named Mordecai. Mordecai is a close relative to King Saul and he has been rearing his cousin Hadassah (Esther) because she is an orphan. As Esther has developed, Mordecai has probably cherished hopes of arranging an excellent marriage for Esther with an observant young Jewish man; however, now Esther has also joined the other virgins in the palace harem. Obviously a young woman of fine character, Esther has so impressed Hegai, the head of the harem, that he is providing beauty treatments, special food, seven attendants from the palace, and the best place in the harem. What the other virgins think about the special attention is best left to the imagination. It’s a mercy of God that some rival does not poison Esther out of spite!

Poor Mordecai! Mordecai loves Esther dearly; however, he has cautioned her to hide her nationality and family background for fear of antisemitic prejudice. All Mordecai can do is to walk daily near the courtyard of the harem, hoping for news of Esther, and he must be careful not to display undue interest, lest someone begin asking embarrassing questions. What if Esther fails to please the king? Will the king insist of keeping Esther in the harem as a concubine for the rest of her life? What if one of the other women tries to harm Esther? Everyone knows that harems are full of intrigue.

APPLICATION: Many times, we focus so much on the character of Esther in this short book that we fail to fully appreciate Mordecai, his character, his love for Esther, and his example for the rest of us. Mordecai has devoted his life to raising Esther to be a fine young woman of excellent character. It’s likely that if Esther did not have a good reputation, the commissioners wouldn’t have bothered to send her to the harem for the king’s consideration. Those commissioners undoubtedly know how to do background checks, and they have already eliminated several young women with fair faces but bad character. Esther’s candidacy is a tribute to Mordecai’s rearing. Until now, Mordecai has protected Esther, but now Esther has been removed from Mordecai’s protection. All Mordecai can do is to pray for God’ protection over Esther. Mordecai is in a precarious position, one that also puts Esther at risk. Mordecai is a known person in Susa, and his nationality is also well known. Esther’s connection with Mordecai needs to remain a secret for now, lest someone use that against Esther.

Mordecai is the example of every parent who has ever sent a child off to school or to work in a distant location. Few feelings are as helpless; any caring parent can tell you just how much they wind up praying for their children.  If that child becomes sick, you may not be able to help them. If the child dies, your feeling of helplessness only multiplies.

Our children are older and they live in America; however, we have many Ghanaian young people who are as close to us as if we had given birth to them. On Easter Sunday 2015, we were in our regional capital for a party for a friend. Before the party, we stopped to see Musah, one of our “sons” who was completing a two – year computer course. Musah mentioned that he had been ill and was taking malaria treatment. We prayed for him and then went to the party. Two hours later, our friends with whom Musah was staying called us in a panic because Musah had collapsed! Although our friends rushed Musah to a nearby hospital and although we joined them, there was nothing we could do. Musah died in my arms. We still grieve, although Musah was a Christian and we know one day we will see him again.

As you read today’s selection, think about Mordecai and then pray for all the young people you know who are going off to school or to new jobs.

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, we lift up parents and children as these parents courageously allow their children to move forward with their lives. Be with both parents and children and help us to remember that You love these young people far more than we ever can. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

Queen Vashti Deposed

“This is what happened during the time of Xerxes,(Ahasuerus in Hebrew) the Xerxes who ruled over 127 provinces stretching from India to Cush(the Upper Nile Region):  At that time King Xerxes reigned from his royal throne in the citadel of Susa, and in the third year of his reign he gave a banquet for all his nobles and officials. The military leaders of Persia and Media, the princes, and the nobles of the provinces were present.

For a full 180 days (6 months) he displayed the vast wealth of his kingdom and the splendor and glory of his majesty. When these days were over, the king gave a banquet, lasting seven days, in the enclosed garden of the king’s palace, for all the people from the least to the greatest who were in the citadel of Susa. The garden had hangings of white and blue linen, fastened with cords of white linen and purple material to silver rings on marble pillars. There were couches of gold and silver on a mosaic pavement of porphyry, marble, mother-of-pearl and other costly stones. Wine was served in goblets of gold, each one different from the other, and the royal wine was abundant, in keeping with the king’s liberality. By the king’s command each guest was allowed to drink with no restrictions, for the king instructed all the wine stewards to serve each man what he wished. (Some versions say “the drinking was not compulsory,” indicating that some rulers would force their guests to get drunk.) Queen Vashti also gave a banquet for the women in the royal palace of King Xerxes.

On the seventh day, when King Xerxes was in high spirits from wine, he commanded the seven eunuchs who served him—Mehuman, Biztha, Harbona, Bigtha, Abagtha, Zethar and Karkas—to bring before him Queen Vashti, wearing her royal crown, in order to display her beauty to the people and nobles, for she was lovely to look at. But when the attendants delivered the king’s command, Queen Vashti refused to come. (It’s possible that Xerxes wanted Vashti to be naked apart from her crown; he was drunk enough to do that!) Then the king became furious and burned with anger.

Since it was customary for the king to consult experts in matters of law and justice, he spoke with the wise men who understood the times and were closest to the king—Karshena, Shethar, Admatha, Tarshish, Meres, Marsena and Memukan, the seven nobles of Persia and Media who had special access to the king and were highest in the kingdom. “According to law, what must be done to Queen Vashti?” he asked. “She has not obeyed the command of King Xerxes that the eunuchs have taken to her.”

Then Memukan replied in the presence of the king and the nobles, “Queen Vashti has done wrong, not only against the king but also against all the nobles and the peoples of all the provinces of King Xerxes. For the queen’s conduct will become known to all the women, and so they will despise their husbands and say, ‘King Xerxes commanded Queen Vashti to be brought before him, but she would not come.’ This very day the Persian and Median women of the nobility who have heard about the queen’s conduct will respond to all the king’s nobles in the same way. There will be no end of disrespect and discord.

“Therefore, if it pleases the king, let him issue a royal decree and let it be written in the laws of Persia and Media, which cannot be repealed, that Vashti is never again to enter the presence of King Xerxes. Also let the king give her royal position to someone else who is better than she. Then when the king’s edict is proclaimed throughout all his vast realm, all the women will respect their husbands, from the least to the greatest.”

The king and his nobles were pleased with this advice, so the king did as Memukan proposed. He sent dispatches to all parts of the kingdom, to each province in its own script and to each people in their own language, proclaiming that every man should be ruler over his own household, using his native tongue.”

Talk about celebrating your achievements! King Xerxes has been celebrating himself and his empire for the last six months. There have been parades, military demonstrations, athletic games, horse races, and every other entertainment an immensely powerful ruler can imagine. Now Xerxes has given a final banquet lasting seven days for all the men in the kingdom. (What? You thought “people” referred to women? No way!) Xerxes himself has probably stayed drunk for much of that time, although he has allowed his guests to drink as much or as little as they wish. This fact is noted because in those days, some rulers would have forced their guests to become completely wasted. Gee, what a great guy! After drinking and feasting for seven days straight, Xerxes suddenly decides that Queen Vashti should appear in her royal crown – likely in her crown and nothing else – so that he can flaunt the fact that his queen is the most beautiful woman in the kingdom. Being sober and in her right mind, Vashti refuses. But this refusal infuriates Xerxes. Having spent the last six months celebrating himself and being thoroughly drunk, Xerxes is in no mood for refusals by anybody, especially a woman, no matter how beautiful she is.

Xerxes consults his seven advisers, who are probably just as drunk as he is. Thanks to some anonymous scribe, we even know the names of these men: “Karshena, Shethar, Admatha, Tarshish, Meres, Marsena and Memukan, the seven nobles of Persia and Media who had special access to the king and were highest in the kingdom.” These guys might be drunk, but they aren’t stupid, and they realize that their own positions depend on whether or not Xerxes accepts their advice. There are probably lots of other sages in the kingdom who would be more than happy to replace them. Given the reality of the situation and the unspoken threats from King Xerxes, the advisers have little choice but to suggest that Queen Vashti be retired to the royal harem, where she will spend the rest of her life in seclusion. Then Xerxes can find some new and even more gorgeous queen and women throughout the empire will be afraid to say anything against their husbands for fear of similar banishment. And to hide Xerxes’ embarrassment, the advisers send out a royal edict stating that “every man should be ruler over his own household” in all the various languages used throughout the various parts of the empire.   

APPLICATION: The Book of Esther is quirky. Why preserve the account of a six-month long royal indulgence capped off by a seven-day long drunk and followed by a capricious royal edict? And yet….and yet God has allowed this small Book to be included for lots of reasons. Most of us have relatively little control over many of the circumstances of our lives. As the line from the song from Fiddler on the Roof says, “Life has a way of abusing us, blessing and bruising us!”

Through the years, God has used this small Book to encourage believers in all kinds of circumstances, including concentration camps, prisons, poverty, joblessness, etc. TODAY GOD WANTS YOU TO KNOW THAT HE IS ENGINEERING YOUR CIRCUMSTANCES, WEIRD AS THEY MIGHT SEEM! GOD WANTS YOU TO WATCH, BECAUSE HE IS GOING TO USE THE VERY THINGS THAT HURT AND CONFUSE YOU TO WORK OUT SOMETHING WONDERFUL!

Let’s pray.

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, many of us are bewildered by the chaos around us. Help us to realize that Your hand is never shortened and that You are never confused or bewildered and that You are a God of peace. Please send Your peace into the hearts of all who read these words. In the matchless Name of King Jesus. Amen.

Heaven Is My Throne (Acts 7:48-53)

“This is what the LORD says: “Heaven is My throne, and earth is My footstool. What kind of house will you build for Me? Or where will My place of repose be? Has not My hand made all these things? And so they came into being,” declares the LORD. “This is the one I will esteem: he who is humble and contrite in spirit, who trembles at My word.

Whoever slaughters an ox is like one who slays a man; whoever sacrifices a lamb is like one who breaks a dog’s neck; whoever presents a grain offering is like one who offers pig’s blood; whoever offers frankincense is like one who praises an idol. Indeed, they have chosen their own ways and delighted in their abominations. So I will choose their punishment and I will bring terror upon them, because I called and no one answered, I spoke and no one listened. But they did what was evil in My sight and chose that in which I did not delight.”

You who tremble at His word, hear the word of the LORD: “Your brothers who hate and exclude you because of My name have said, ‘Let the LORD be glorified that we may see your joy!’ But they will be put to shame.” Hear the uproar from the city; listen to the voice from the temple! It is the voice of the LORD, repaying His enemies what they deserve! Rejoice with Jerusalem “Before she was in labor, she gave birth; before she was in pain, she delivered a boy. Who has heard of such as this? Who has seen such things? Can a country be born in a day or a nation be delivered in an instant? Yet as soon as Zion was in labor, she gave birth to her children. Shall I bring a baby to the point of birth and not deliver it?” says the LORD. “Or will I who deliver close the womb?” says your God.

Be glad for Jerusalem and rejoice over her, all who love her. Rejoice greatly with her, all who mourn over her, so that you may nurse and be satisfied at her comforting breasts; you may drink deeply and delight yourselves in her glorious abundance. For this is what the LORD says: “I will extend peace to her like a river, and the wealth of nations like a flowing stream; you will nurse and be carried on her arm, and bounced upon her knees. As a mother comforts her son, so will I comfort you, and you will be consoled over Jerusalem.” When you see, you will rejoice, and you will flourish like grass; then the hand of the LORD will be revealed to His servants, but His wrath will be shown to His enemies.

Final Judgments against the Wicked

For behold, the LORD will come with fire—His chariots are like a whirlwind—to execute His anger with fury and His rebuke with flames of fire. For by fire and by His sword, the LORD will execute judgment on all flesh, and many will be slain by the LORD. “Those who consecrate and purify themselves to enter the groves—to follow one in the center of those who eat the flesh of swine and vermin and rats—will perish together,” declares the LORD. “And I, knowing their deeds and thoughts, am coming to gather all nations and tongues, and they will come and see My glory. I will establish a sign among them, and I will send survivors from among them to the nations—to Tarshish, Put, and the archers of Lud; to Tubal, Javan, and the islands far away who have not heard of My fame or seen My glory. So they will proclaim My glory among the nations. And they will bring all your brothers from all the nations as a gift to the LORD on horses and chariots and wagons, on mules and camels, to My holy mountain Jerusalem,” says the LORD, “just as the Israelites bring an offering in a clean vessel to the house of the LORD.”

 “And I will select some of them as priests and Levites,” says the LORD. “For just as the new heavens and the new earth, which I will make, will endure before Me,” declares the LORD, “so your descendants and your name will endure. From one New Moon to another and from one Sabbath to another, all mankind will come to worship before Me,” says the LORD. “As they go forth, they will see the corpses of the men who have rebelled against Me; for their worm will never die, their fire will never be quenched, and they will be a horror to all mankind.”

God is fed up with His people playing religious games! Now He is continuing the warnings He began in Chapter 65.

“Whoever slaughters an ox is like one who slays a man; whoever sacrifices a lamb is like one who breaks a dog’s neck; whoever presents a grain offering is like one who offers pig’s blood; whoever offers frankincense is like one who praises an idol. Indeed, they have chosen their own ways and delighted in their abominations. So I will choose their punishment and I will bring terror upon them, because I called and no one answered, I spoke and no one listened. But they did what was evil in My sight and chose that in which I did not delight.”  

Wait a minute! The offerings described here are the ones God ordered through Moses. But God knows the human heart, and He knows that even when His people are bringing the prescribed offerings to Him, they are going to sneak out to worship demons later. That’s why God is saying that slaughtering an ox amounts to murder, that sacrificing a lamb is like breaking a dog’s neck (dogs were considered unclean animals), that grain offerings made for show are tantamount to offering pig’s blood (pigs were also unclean) and offering frankincense is like praising an idol. (By this point, the Jews might have been offering the same incense used in the temple to idols, something that God had totally forbidden and that was punishable by death).

The faithful in Jerusalem are enduring persistent mockery from their wicked friends and neighbors. God is encouraging the faithful to stand firm but also assuring them that they WILL see Jerusalem restored and the evil punished. The faithful will be sent to share the good news of God with the ends of the earth while the wicked will receive full recompense for their vile deeds.

Part of this prophecy appears to have already come true. The nation of Israel came into existence very quickly, despite major opposition from several different sources. Israel has continued to prosper despite repeated attacks of all kinds. The horrors of World War II drove Jews from many different parts of the world to Israel. On the other hand, there are parts of this prophecy that obviously have yet to be fulfilled.

APPLICATION: What comfort can we gain for ourselves from this chapter? One assurance is that righteousness will be rewarded. Many of us have found ourselves standing for the right while colleagues have settled for expediency. Sometimes, we have even been punished for being honest and transparent. But God is promising us that He will reward us and that He can give us “peace like a river.” Rivers flow continually and big rivers never dry up. When God gives peace, He gives it in super – abundance. God promises spiritual abundance and comfort. But make no mistake! God is not promising to carry us around on a silken pillow, nor will He shield us from hardships. Jesus admonished his disciples in John 16:33 “I have told you these things so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take courage; I have overcome the world!”

These days, Christians in many parts of the world are paying with their lives for believing in Christ. Why are these people willing to risk everything in this fashion? God has never changed; He has been the same throughout history. Even in the midst of terrible trials, believers have had the overflowing peace of the Holy Spirit. These people have been willing to give up earth for heaven. Why not ask God for His peace and see what happens? What do you have to lose?

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, please give Your abiding peace to all who read these words. In the matchless Name of King Jesus. Amen.

Judgments and Promises

“I revealed Myself to those who did not ask for Me; I was found by those who did not seek Me. To a nation that did not call My name, I said, ‘Here I am! Here I am!’ All day long I have held out My hands to an obstinate people who walk in the wrong path, who follow their own imaginations, to a people who continually provoke Me to My face, sacrificing in the gardens and burning incense on altars of brick, sitting among the graves, spending nights in secret places, eating the meat of pigs and polluted broth from their bowls. They say, ‘Keep to yourself; do not come near me, for I am holier than you!’ Such people are smoke in My nostrils, a fire that burns all day long. Behold, it is written before Me: I will not keep silent, but I will repay; I will pay it back into their laps, both for your iniquities and those of your fathers,” says the LORD. “Because they burned incense on the mountains and scorned Me on the hills, I will measure into their laps full payment for their former deeds.”

This is what the LORD says: “As the new wine is found in a cluster of grapes, and men say, ‘Do not destroy it, for it contains a blessing,’ so I will act on behalf of My servants: I will not destroy them all. And I will bring forth descendants from Jacob, and heirs from Judah; My elect will possess My mountains, and My servants will dwell there. Sharon will become a pasture for flocks, and the Valley of Achor a resting place for herds, for My people who seek Me.

But you who forsake the LORD, who forget My holy mountain, who set a table for Fortune(Hebrew Gad, the Babylonian god of fortune) and fill bowls of mixed wine for Destiny, (Hebrew Meni, the Babylonian god of fate ) I will destine you for the sword, and you will all kneel down to be slaughtered, because I called and you did not answer, I spoke and you did not listen; you did evil in My sight and chose that in which I did not delight.” Therefore, this is what the Lord GOD says: “My servants will eat, but you will go hungry; My servants will drink, but you will go thirsty; My servants will rejoice, but you will be put to shame. My servants will shout for joy with a glad heart, but you will cry out with a heavy heart and wail with a broken spirit.

You will leave behind your name as a curse for My chosen ones, and the Lord GOD will slay you, but to His servants He will give another name. Whoever invokes a blessing in the land will do so by the God of truth, and whoever takes an oath in the land will swear by the God of truth. For the former troubles will be forgotten and hidden from My sight.

 A New Heaven and a New Earth (Revelation 21:1-8)

For behold, I will create new heavens and a new earth. The former things will not be remembered, nor will they come to mind. But be glad and rejoice forever in what I create; for I will create Jerusalem to be a joy and its people to be a delight. I will rejoice in Jerusalem and take delight in My people. The sounds of weeping and crying will no longer be heard in her. No longer will a nursing infant live but a few days, or an old man not live out his years. For the youth will die at a hundred years, and he who fails to reach a hundred will be considered accursed.

They will build houses and dwell in them; they will plant vineyards and eat their fruit. No longer will they build houses for others to inhabit, nor plant for others to eat. For as is the lifetime of a tree, so will be the days of My people, and My chosen ones will fully enjoy the work of their hands. They will not labor in vain or bear children doomed to disaster; for they will be a people blessed by the LORD—they and their descendants with them.

Even before they call, I will answer, and while they are still speaking, I will hear. The wolf and the lamb will feed together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox, but the food of the serpent will be dust. They will do no harm nor destruction on all My holy mountain,” says the LORD.

Things have almost reached the point of no return spiritually in Jerusalem. Elders who claim to be observant Jews are indulging in all kinds of depraved practices. Just look at this list: sacrificing in the gardens and burning incense on altars of brick, sitting among the graves, spending nights in secret places, eating the meat of pigs and polluted broth from their bowls… setting a table for Fortune (Hebrew Gad, the Babylonian god of fortune) and filling bowls of mixed wine for Destiny, (Hebrew Meni, the Babylonian god of fate ). Evidently, these people have decided that the One True Living God is blind, deaf, and stupid.

Later, St. Paul would describe such people quite accurately. “For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like a mortal human being and birds and animals and reptiles. Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. They exchanged the truth about God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator—who is forever praised. Amen.” (Romans 1:21-24)

But God is all – knowing and all – seeing and God knows exactly what these people have been doing. God describes these people as having continually provoked Him, being as irritating as smoke in one’s face, and He promises that the day of reckoning is coming. ““Because they burned incense on the mountains and scorned Me on the hills, I will measure into their laps full payment for their former deeds.” God is about to draw a sharp line between the faithful and unfaithful. God promises to take great care of those who have kept the faith, leaving those who have been playing religious games to go hungry, thirsty, and to suffer. The very names of the unfaithful will eventually be used as curse words because of their evil.

God goes on to promise that there will be a new heaven and a new earth, one untouched by the ravages of sin. Even the animals will be touched so that they will revert to the behavior they exhibited before the fall of man. All creation will be renewed. Romans 8:19-21 tells us, “For the creation waits in eager expectation for the children of God to be revealed. For the creation was subjected to frustration (futility), not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the freedom and glory of the children of God.” Man sinned; the rest of creation was innocent but God subjected it to the results of sin. But the day of restoration is coming and it will be glorious!

APPLICATION: Reading the list of abhorrent practices into which the citizens of Judah have descended is shocking. What happened to these people who claimed to be people of God? They forgot who God was and stopped worshiping Him “in spirit and in truth.” Once worship at the temple became merely a set of boring expensive rituals, it was easy to wander off into idolatry.

Reports from the Asbury revival stress the fact that the Holy Spirit is the One directing the meetings. The organizing team meet for prayer several times a day. When God selects new singers and musicians, they are taken to a Consecration Room, where the team prays over them, invoking the Holy Spirit to empower them. The results are earth – shaking and life – changing. People are streaming in from across the globe, drawn by their hunger for real spiritual refreshing. What years of formal church services have not accomplished, God is accomplishing in hours. What has made the difference?

When Jesus met the Samaritan woman at the well, he told her that God is a spirit and they who worship Him must worship in “spirit and in truth.” The problem in Isaiah’s Jerusalem is the same problem believers have faced repeatedly: unless we remember Who God is, His majesty, His greatness, His authority, His wisdom, and His might, we will only be repeating religious rituals. Am I saying that church services are unnecessary? Far from it! Hebrews 10:25 advises us not to forsake the assembling of ourselves together. There is great power and encouragement when we worship together with other believers. Many times, someone brings a testimony that blesses others and gives them new hope and wisdom for their own situations. It’s when worship deteriorates into performance and sermons are used as opportunities for speakers to demonstrate their ability to play on people’s emotions that we lose sight of God.

The Holy Spirit will come to anyone who truly seeks Him and begs for His presence. But we must be careful. One Sunday we were worshiping and the service had reached the point where there was a holy hush throughout the congregation. My husband and I stood poised, knowing that God wanted to do something magnificent and new. But just as God might have moved, the pianist suddenly chose to begin a bouncy worship song that totally destroyed God’s peace in the congregation. I could literally feel the Holy Spirit as He rushed out of the church, and I actually jumped out of my pew and ran outside as if I could catch the Holy Spirit. (I couldn’t!)  

Look closely at God’s promise: “Even before they call, I will answer, and while they are still speaking, I will hear.” God does not play favorites. This promise is for you just as it is for all other believers. When you call on God and mean it, He will always answer in some form.

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, thank You that when we call, You DO hear and that You will answer, even before we call and even while we are still speaking. Please speak to the hearts of all who read these words so that they will step out in faith and call on You, their Heavenly Father. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

A Prayer for God’s Power

“If only You would rend the heavens and come down, so that mountains would quake at Your presence, as fire kindles the brushwood and causes the water to boil, to make Your name known to Your enemies, so that nations will tremble at Your presence! When You did awesome works that we did not expect, You came down, and the mountains trembled at Your presence.

From ancient times no one has heard, no ear has perceived, no eye has seen any God besides You, who acts on behalf of those who wait for Him. You welcome those who gladly do right, who remember Your ways. Surely You were angry, for we sinned. How can we be saved if we remain in our sins? Each of us has become like something unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; we all wither like a leaf, and our iniquities carry us away like the wind. No one calls on Your name or strives to take hold of You. For You have hidden Your face from us and delivered us into the hand of our iniquity. (The exact phrase for “filthy rags” in Hebrew refers to a stained menstrual garment.)

But now, O LORD, You are our Father; we are the clay, and You are the potter; we are all the work of Your hand. Do not be angry, O LORD, beyond measure; do not remember our iniquity forever. Oh, look upon us, we pray; we are all Your people! Your holy cities have become a wilderness; Zion has become a wasteland, Jerusalem a desolation. Our holy and beautiful temple, where our fathers praised You, has been burned with fire, and all that was dear to us lies in ruins. After all this, O LORD, will You restrain Yourself? Will You keep silent and afflict us beyond measure?

It seems that by the time these words are written, the Assyrians have already ransacked Jerusalem, leaving the temple in ruins. But we know that Isaiah was slaughtered at the command of wicked King Manasseh, Hezekiah’s son. So these verses are prophetic, indicating the destruction that will eventually overtake Jerusalem and Judah. Righteous Isaiah anticipates the horrors the Assyrians will bring and is pleading with God to mitigate His punishments. Isaiah is too much of a realist to ignore the sins in which his people have persisted; however, he is also pleading with God to deliver his people in spite of those sins.

This short chapter contains two of the most vivid images in the Bible. “Each of us has become like something unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; we all wither like a leaf, and our iniquities carry us away like the wind.” No matter how good we try to be, all of our efforts fall short of God’s holiness and His righteousness. Even when we are trying as hard as possible to be good, our motives are still mixed and our hearts are not pure. The “filthy rags” referred to are likely the rags women have been using to absorb menstrual blood. Women in their menses are considered unclean and must undergo ritual purification before they are considered clean again. It’s likely that these rags would be burned to avoid contaminating anyone else.

The second powerful image is that of the potter and the clay. Potters begin with large lumps of clay and then gradually shape that clay into useful articles. There is nothing attractive or inspiring about an unformed lump of clay; only the mind of a master potter knows what he or she can make out of it. No matter how carefully we plan our lives, we can never really know God’s perfect will for us unless we ask and give Him permission to work that will in our lives. But if we give God permission, He can make something magnificent out of us.

APPLICATION: As I am writing this, the revival at Asbury University is continuing into its eleventh day and shows no signs of stopping or diminishing. Testimonies coming from Asbury indicate that it is the Holy Spirit who is controlling things and not anybody else. Famous Christian musicians and preachers who have offered their services have been politely invited to come but not to perform. When a national news group wanted to do a feature program, the University wisely declined. One of the most revealing aspects of this movement is spontaneous conviction of sin coupled with prayers of repentance and restoration. There have been emotional, physical, and spiritual healings. People are streaming in from around the world as well as around America, and the seating has expanded to four buildings to accommodate all the participants. Some people have testified that the presence of the Holy Spirit is so strong that they begin weeping spontaneously as they approach the buildings. Only God will know the final outcomes that this move of the Holy Spirit will have. For all those at Asbury, the Master Potter is working and remolding them into something beautiful.

Revival is now spreading from Asbury to other college campuses as well. What is happening to these people? Isaiah 61:1-3 tells us: The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve in Zion—to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair…”

God is sovereignly moving, and when God moves, He brings freedom and release, healing and comfort, beauty for ashes, joy instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. John 1:4-5 tells us, “In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.”

There’s a song by the Gold City Quartet that sums up what God wants to do in each of our lives.

I Have Seen the Light

1. … I was a seeker alone in a dark world,
   I looked for truth but settled for lies.
   I had been blinded, I couldn’t see
   Till a Star in Bethlehem’s sky opened my eyes.

… I have seen the Light shining in the darkness,
Bursting through the shadows, delivering the dawn.
I have seen the Light whose holy name is Jesus,
His kingdom is forever; He reigns on Heaven’s throne!

• … There in a manger, an innocent baby;
  Who would believe that He was the One;
  I can believe it, I know it’s true;
  He changed my life; He is the light; He is God’s Son!

… I have seen the Light shining in the darkness,
Bursting through the shadows, delivering the dawn.
I have seen the Light whose holy name is Jesus,
His kingdom is forever; He reigns on Heaven’s throne!

• … We must tell the world what we’ve seen today in Bethlehem!
  He’s the promised King; we bow down and worship Him!
  We will Worship Christ The King!

… I have seen the Light shining in the darkness,
Bursting through the shadows, delivering the dawn.
I have seen the Light whose holy name is Jesus,
His kingdom is forever; He reigns on Heaven’s throne!

… I have seen the light of Jesus, I have seen the light of the Lord
I have seen the light of Jesus, I have seen the light
I have seen the light of the Lord.

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. LORD, SHINE YOUR LIGHT INTO THE HEARTS OF ALL WHO READ THESE WORDS! SEND REVIVAL ON EVERY ONE OF THEM, ON THEIR FAMILIES, THEIR FRIENDS, THEIR TRIBES, THEIR PROFESSIONS THROUHOUT THE WORLD! LORD, PLEASE SEND REVIVAL! In the mighty Name of King Jesus, Your Word made flesh. Amen.

God’s Vengeance on the Nations

“Who is this coming from Edom, from Bozrah with crimson-stained garments? Who is this robed in splendor, marching in the greatness of His strength? “It is I who speak in righteousness, mighty to save.” Why are Your clothes red, and Your garments like one who treads the winepress? “I have trodden the winepress alone, and no one from the nations was with Me. I trampled them in My anger and trod them down in My fury; their blood spattered My garments, and all My clothes were stained. For the day of vengeance was in My heart, and the year of My redemption had come. I looked, but there was no one to help; I was appalled that no one assisted; so My arm brought Me salvation, and My own wrath upheld Me. I trampled nations in My anger; in My wrath I made them drunk and poured out their blood on the ground.”

God’s Mercies Recalled

I will make known the LORD’s loving devotion and His praiseworthy acts, because of all that the LORD has done for us—the many good things for the house of Israel according to His great compassion and loving devotion. For He said, “They are surely My people, sons who will not be disloyal”; and so He became their Savior. In all their distress, He too was afflicted, and the angel of His Presence saved them. In His love and compassion He redeemed them; He lifted them up and carried them all the days of old. But they rebelled and grieved His Holy Spirit. So He turned and became their enemy, and He Himself fought against them. Then His people remembered the days of old, the days of Moses. Where is He who brought them through the sea with the shepherds of His flock? Where is the One who set His Holy Spirit among them, who sent His glorious arm to lead them by the right hand of Moses, who divided the waters before them to gain for Himself everlasting renown, who led them through the depths like a horse in the wilderness, so that they did not stumble? Like cattle going down to the valley, the Spirit of the LORD gave them rest. You led Your people this way to make for Yourself a glorious name.

A Prayer for Mercy (Jeremiah 14:19-22)

Look down from heaven and see, from Your holy and glorious habitation. Where are Your zeal and might? Your yearning and compassion for me are restrained. Yet You are our Father, though Abraham does not know us and Israel does not acknowledge us. You, O LORD, are our Father; our Redeemer from of old is Your name. Why, O LORD, do You make us stray from Your ways and harden our hearts from fearing You? Return, for the sake of Your servants, the tribes of Your heritage. For a short while Your people possessed Your holy place, but our enemies have trampled Your sanctuary. We have become like those You never ruled, like those not called by Your name.” 

It has never been God’s perfect will for the nation of Israel to split into 2 nations, or for those nations to descend into idolatry. Through Moses, God repeatedly warned the Israelites what would happen if they insisted on descending into idolatry. But God’s people have refused to obey Him and have taken up the religions of the people whose lands God has given them, bringing God’s retribution on themselves.

“For the day of vengeance was in My heart, and the year of My redemption had come. I looked, but there was no one to help; I was appalled that no one assisted; so My arm brought Me salvation, and My own wrath upheld Me. I trampled nations in My anger; in My wrath I made them drunk and poured out their blood on the ground.” By the time Isaiah is giving this prophecy, the Northern Kingdom has already been conquered by the Babylonians and now the Assyrians are advancing toward Judah. In other prophecies, God has made it clear that He will eventually take vengeance upon unbelievers for  rejecting Him despite all of His goodness toward them. 

“In His love and compassion He redeemed them; He lifted them up and carried them all the days of old. But they rebelled and grieved His Holy Spirit. So He turned and became their enemy, and He Himself fought against them.” The Israelites have lousy memories, totally forgetting how God has delivered them from the Egyptian army and has then provided for them during forty years of wandering in the wilderness. Repeatedly, God has delivered the Israelites from their enemies. Once the Israelites begin suffering under foreign invaders, they belatedly remember all the good God has done for them.  

“Why, O LORD, do You make us stray from Your ways and harden our hearts from fearing You? Return, for the sake of Your servants, the tribes of Your heritage. For a short while Your people possessed Your holy place, but our enemies have trampled Your sanctuary. We have become like those You never ruled, like those not called by Your name.”  Wait! The same people who have been worshiping every pagan deity available are now blaming God for their poor choices as if God has FORCED them into idolatry? God doesn’t force people into idolatry; people go there all on their own.

APPLICATION: This chapter is a strange one, composed partially of extravagant praises and partially of complaints against God for allowing the Israelites to make bad choices. But these complaints totally ignore the existence of the God-given gift of free will. God has not created us as puppets but as people who can freely choose good or evil, sin or righteousness.

God is a good Father who does not play charades or guessing games with His children. But God has given us His Word so that we can learn His perfect will and then do it, if we choose. Our problem is that frequently we don’t want to do God’s will; we want to do our own and then label it as God’s will. No wonder that when our choices prove disastrous, we try to blame God.

  An old couple were driving down the road when the wife began complaining. “We used to sit so close together when we were in the car! I don’t like sitting way over here alone.” The husband turned to her and said, “Well, I haven’t moved!” God never distanced himself from the Israelites; it was the Israelites who insisted on moving away from God. Earlier, Isaiah described this situation correctly. “We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.”

God does not move away from us. We move away from God. Blaming God for abandoning us is ridiculous. Our sins separate us from God, for God wants fellowship with us. But the good news is that God is always there, waiting for us to return to Him. Jesus once told a story about a young man who demanded his inheritance early and then ran off to the city where he quickly blew all his money on partying. Things got so bad that this guy wound up caring for somebody’s pigs and even munching on whatever the pigs were eating to avoid starving. That was when the fellow decided to return to his father and beg his father for a position as a hired servant; after all, his father’s servants ate well and regularly. But as the young man was approaching the house, the father saw him from a distance and ran to him, hugging him and hugging him. Then the father threw a big party to celebrate his son’s return. The message is clear: God, our Heavenly Father, wants us to be close to Him so badly that He will welcome anyone who will turn to Him.

There’s an old Gospel song by Ira Sankey, the worship leader for D.L. Moody, the Billy Graham of the nineteenth century. A lady named Elizabeth Cecelia Clephane wrote the words. You can check out both words and music at: https://www.hymnal.net/en/hymn/h/1077 .

There were ninety and nine that safely lay In the shelter of the flock,
But one was out on the hills away, Far off in the cold and dark;
Away on the mountains wild and bare, Away from the tender Shepherd’s care.  

“Lord, Thou hast here Thy ninety and nine; Are they not enough for Thee?”
But the Shepherd made answer: “This of Mine Has wandered away from Me;
And although the road be rough and steep, I go to the desert to find My sheep.”  

But none of the ransomed ever knew How deep were the waters crossed;
Nor how dark was the night which the Lord passed through Ere He found His sheep that was lost.
Out in the bleak desert He heard its cry—All bleeding and helpless, and ready to die.  

“Lord, whence are those blood-drops all the way That mark out the mountain’s track?”
“They were shed for one who had gone astray Ere the Shepherd could bring him back.”
“Lord, whence are Thy hands so rent and torn?” “They’re pierced tonight by many a thorn.”  

And all through the mountains, thunder-riven, And up from the rocky steep,
There arose a cry to the gate of heaven, “Rejoice! I have found My sheep!”
And the angels echoed around the throne, “Rejoice, for the Lord brings back His own!”

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, only You know the human heart and You know the hearts of all who will read these words. Send the convicting power of Your Holy Spirit so people will realize how much You long for them to come to You and be in fellowship with You. In the matchless Name of King Jesus. Amen.

FEBRUARY 20, 2023 A GREAT LIGHT IN THE DARKNESS #67 ISAIAH 63:1-19 DOES GOD FORCE US TO SIN?  

God’s Vengeance on the Nations

“Who is this coming from Edom, from Bozrah with crimson-stained garments? Who is this robed in splendor, marching in the greatness of His strength? “It is I who speak in righteousness, mighty to save.” Why are Your clothes red, and Your garments like one who treads the winepress? “I have trodden the winepress alone, and no one from the nations was with Me. I trampled them in My anger and trod them down in My fury; their blood spattered My garments, and all My clothes were stained. For the day of vengeance was in My heart, and the year of My redemption had come.

I looked, but there was no one to help; I was appalled that no one assisted;

so My arm brought Me salvation, and My own wrath upheld Me. I trampled nations in My anger; in My wrath I made them drunk and poured out their blood on the ground.”

God’s Mercies Recalled

I will make known the LORD’s loving devotion and His praiseworthy acts, because of all that the LORD has done for us—the many good things for the house of Israel according to His great compassion and loving devotion. For He said, “They are surely My people, sons who will not be disloyal”; and so He became their Savior. In all their distress, He too was afflicted, and the angel of His Presence saved them. In His love and compassion He redeemed them; He lifted them up and carried them all the days of old. But they rebelled and grieved His Holy Spirit. So He turned and became their enemy, and He Himself fought against them.

Then His people remembered the days of old, the days of Moses. Where is He who brought them through the sea

with the shepherds of His flock? Where is the One who set His Holy Spirit among them, who sent His glorious arm

to lead them by the right hand of Moses, who divided the waters before them to gain for Himself everlasting renown, who led them through the depths like a horse in the wilderness, so that they did not stumble? Like cattle going down to the valley, the Spirit of the LORD gave them rest. You led Your people this way to make for Yourself a glorious name.

A Prayer for Mercy (Jeremiah 14:19-22)

Look down from heaven and see, from Your holy and glorious habitation. Where are Your zeal and might? Your yearning and compassion for me are restrained. Yet You are our Father, though Abraham does not know us and Israel does not acknowledge us. You, O LORD, are our Father; our Redeemer from of old is Your name. Why, O LORD, do You make us stray from Your ways and harden our hearts from fearing You? Return, for the sake of Your servants, the tribes of Your heritage. For a short while Your people possessed Your holy place, but our enemies have trampled Your sanctuary. We have become like those You never ruled, like those not called by Your name.” 

It has never been God’s perfect will for the nation of Israel to split into 2 nations, or for those nations to descend into idolatry. Through Moses, God repeatedly warned the Israelites what would happen if they insisted on descending into idolatry. But God’s people have refused to obey Him and have taken up the religions of the people whose lands God has given them, bringing God’s retribution on themselves.

“For the day of vengeance was in My heart, and the year of My redemption had come. I looked, but there was no one to help; I was appalled that no one assisted; so My arm brought Me salvation, and My own wrath upheld Me. I trampled nations in My anger; in My wrath I made them drunk and poured out their blood on the ground.” By the time Isaiah is giving this prophecy, the Northern Kingdom has already been conquered by the Babylonians and now the Assyrians are advancing toward Judah. In other prophecies, God has made it clear that He will eventually take vengeance upon unbelievers for  rejecting Him despite all of His goodness toward them. 

“In His love and compassion He redeemed them; He lifted them up and carried them all the days of old. But they rebelled and grieved His Holy Spirit. So He turned and became their enemy, and He Himself fought against them.” The Israelites have lousy memories, totally forgetting how God has delivered them from the Egyptian army and has then provided for them during forty years of wandering in the wilderness. Repeatedly, God has delivered the Israelites from their enemies. Once the Israelites begin suffering under foreign invaders, they belatedly remember all the good God has done for them.  

“Why, O LORD, do You make us stray from Your ways and harden our hearts from fearing You? Return, for the sake of Your servants, the tribes of Your heritage. For a short while Your people possessed Your holy place, but our enemies have trampled Your sanctuary. We have become like those You never ruled, like those not called by Your name.”  Wait! The same people who have been worshiping every pagan deity available are now blaming God for their poor choices as if God has FORCED them into idolatry? God doesn’t force people into idolatry; people go there all on their own.

APPLICATION: This chapter is a strange one, composed partially of extravagant praises and partially of complaints against God for allowing the Israelites to make bad choices. But these complaints totally ignore the existence of the God-given gift of free will. God has not created us as puppets but as people who can freely choose good or evil, sin or righteousness.

God is a good Father who does not play charades or guessing games with His children. But God has given us His Word so that we can learn His perfect will and then do it, if we choose. Our problem is that frequently we don’t want to do God’s will; we want to do our own and then label it as God’s will. No wonder that when our choices prove disastrous, we try to blame God.

  An old couple were driving down the road when the wife began complaining. “We used to sit so close together when we were in the car! I don’t like sitting way over here alone.” The husband turned to her and said, “Well, I haven’t moved!” God never distanced himself from the Israelites; it was the Israelites who insisted on moving away from God. Earlier, Isaiah described this situation correctly. “We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.”

God does not move away from us. We move away from God. Blaming God for abandoning us is ridiculous. Our sins separate us from God, for God wants fellowship with us. But the good news is that God is always there, waiting for us to return to Him. Jesus once told a story about a young man who demanded his inheritance early and then ran off to the city where he quickly blew all his money on partying. Things got so bad that this guy wound up caring for somebody’s pigs and even munching on whatever the pigs were eating to avoid starving. That was when the fellow decided to return to his father and beg his father for a position as a hired servant; after all, his father’s servants ate well and regularly. But as the young man was approaching the house, the father saw him from a distance and ran to him, hugging him and hugging him. Then the father threw a big party to celebrate his son’s return. The message is clear: God, our Heavenly Father, wants us to be close to Him so badly that He will welcome anyone who will turn to Him.

There’s an old Gospel song by Ira Sankey, the worship leader for D.L. Moody, the Billy Graham of the nineteenth century. A lady named Elizabeth Cecelia Clephane wrote the words. You can check out both words and music at: https://www.hymnal.net/en/hymn/h/1077 .

There were ninety and nine that safely lay In the shelter of the flock,
But one was out on the hills away, Far off in the cold and dark;
Away on the mountains wild and bare, Away from the tender Shepherd’s care.  

“Lord, Thou hast here Thy ninety and nine; Are they not enough for Thee?”
But the Shepherd made answer: “This of Mine Has wandered away from Me;
And although the road be rough and steep, I go to the desert to find My sheep.”  

But none of the ransomed ever knew How deep were the waters crossed;
Nor how dark was the night which the Lord passed through Ere He found His sheep that was lost.
Out in the bleak desert He heard its cry—All bleeding and helpless, and ready to die.  

“Lord, whence are those blood-drops all the way That mark out the mountain’s track?”
“They were shed for one who had gone astray Ere the Shepherd could bring him back.”
“Lord, whence are Thy hands so rent and torn?” “They’re pierced tonight by many a thorn.”  

And all through the mountains, thunder-riven, And up from the rocky steep,
There arose a cry to the gate of heaven, “Rejoice! I have found My sheep!”
And the angels echoed around the throne, “Rejoice, for the Lord brings back His own!”

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, only You know the human heart and You know the hearts of all who will read these words. Send the convicting power of Your Holy Spirit so people will realize how much You long for them to come to You and be in fellowship with You. In the matchless Name of King Jesus. Amen.

Zion’s Salvation and New Name

“For Zion’s sake I will not keep silent, and for Jerusalem’s sake I will not keep still, until her righteousness shines like a bright light, her salvation like a blazing torch. Nations will see your righteousness, and all kings your glory. You will be called by a new name that the mouth of the LORD will bestow. You will be a crown of glory in the hand of the LORD, a royal diadem in the palm of your God.

No longer will you be called Forsaken, (Hebrew Azubah) nor your land named Desolate; (Hebrew Shemamah)  but you will be called Hephzibah, and your land Beulah; (“Hephzibah” means “my delight is in her.” “ Beulah” means “married.”) for the LORD will take delight in you, and your land will be His bride. For as a young man marries a young woman, so your sons will marry you; and as a groom rejoices over his bride, so your God will rejoice over you.

On your walls, O Jerusalem, I have posted watchmen; they will never be silent day or night. You who call on the LORD shall take no rest for yourselves, nor give Him any rest until He establishes Jerusalem and makes her the praise of the earth.

The LORD has sworn by His right hand and by His mighty arm: “Never again will I give your grain to your enemies for food, nor will foreigners drink the new wine for which you have toiled. For those who harvest grain will eat it and praise the LORD, and those who gather grapes will drink the wine in My holy courts.”

Go out, go out through the gates; prepare the way for the people! Build it up, build up the highway; clear away the stones! Raise a banner for the nations. Behold, the LORD has proclaimed to the ends of the earth, “Say to Daughter Zion: See, your Savior comes! Look, His reward is with Him, and His recompense goes before Him.” And they will be called the Holy People, the Redeemed of The LORD; and you will be called Sought Out, A City Not Forsaken.”

Spiritually, things are going downhill rapidly in Jerusalem, and Isaiah is in despair. The more Isaiah prophesies, the more people seem to stop their ears, even finding new ways of offending God. And yet, God keeps giving Isaiah more messages about the future of Jerusalem.

“For Zion’s sake I will not keep silent, and for Jerusalem’s sake I will not keep still, until her righteousness shines like a bright light, her salvation like a blazing torch.” By this point, it’s quite possible that Isaiah has become an embarrassment to his upper-class family. While Isaiah’s relatives tolerated his messages in the beginning, now they are fed up and prepared to disown him. But God has called Isaiah and God continues to speak with Isaiah; what else can Isaiah do besides speak God’s messages?

“You will be a crown of glory in the hand of the LORD, a royal diadem in the palm of your God.” At present, Jerusalem is anything but these things! Pagan altars clog the streets and practicing Jews are sneaking off to the high places and Asherah shrines. Isaiah sees all these things; yet, God continues to describe a glorious future for Jerusalem, calling those things that do not exist now into existence eventually.

“On your walls, O Jerusalem, I have posted watchmen; they will never be silent day or night. You who call on the LORD shall take no rest for yourselves, nor give Him any rest until He establishes Jerusalem and makes her the praise of the earth.” God wants believers to pray for the peace of Jerusalem and for the future that He intends for her. At present, Jerusalem is a divided and embattled city. Parts of Jerusalem are controlled by various factions and attacks are frequent.

 “Behold, the LORD has proclaimed to the ends of the earth, “Say to Daughter Zion: See, your Savior comes! Look, His reward is with Him, and His recompense goes before Him.” And they will be called the Holy People, the Redeemed of The LORD; and you will be called Sought Out, A City Not Forsaken.” Isaiah is crying aloud in the streets of Jerusalem that Messiah WILL come and will redeem Jerusalem and transform her. But as far as Isaiah’s relatives are concerned, he is “meshuggeneh!” (Yiddish for foolish and crazy.)

APPLICATION: These prophecies over Jerusalem are glorious in their majesty and simplicity. God is literally planning to transform Jerusalem – no more shrines, no more altars, no more Asherah poles, no more burning of children to Molech, no more violence, no more terrorist attacks of any sort.

“This is all very well,” you might say. “But WHEN is Messiah returning?” Ah, now you are asking the same question that the disciples asked Jesus. And Jesus told the disciples that nobody knew the day or the hour, but only his Heavenly Father. For God, time is dynamic and not static; that means that the return of Messiah may depend on people’s actions. Another time, Jesus promised the disciples that the Gospel had to be preached to the ends of the earth before he would return.

Once more, these verses can operate on several different levels. Originally, Isaiah was describing Jerusalem; however, God can activate these promises in the life of anyone who will trust Him. Many of us may feel forsaken and desolate, but God wants us to know that He delights in us and He will be our protector. While the world still waits for the return of the Messiah, we can know Jesus Christ individually and can celebrate His presence in our lives right now. John 3:16 tells us that “God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosever would believe in Him would not perish but would have eternal life.” That same love that sent Jesus to die for our sins on Calvary is still available today. You can pray to receive that love!

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, many of us are hurting, lonely, and hopeless. Please enter these trembling hearts and reassure all who approach You that You really do love them with an everlasting love and that You want to transform their lives. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.